60 THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 



THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE, LANIUS COLLURIO, 

 LINN. Red-backed Shrike of British authors. 

 Unlike the species we have just described, 

 the Red-backed Shrike is one of our summer visi- 

 tants, breeds with us, and again migrates to enjoy 

 a more genial winter after the cares of incubation. 

 It is also more abundant than the last in the 

 southern and midland counties of England, 

 decreasing in numbers as we approach the Bor- 

 der, and, so far as we can learn, not yet captured 

 either in Scotland or Ireland. England, in fact, 

 seems the limit of its migration to the north. It 

 extends to the African Continent ; and, like most 

 of the European species which are also African, 

 is found in almost equal abundance in the south 

 of Europe ; and parts of Spain and Italy, with the 

 south of France, may perhaps be stated as the 

 districts where it is most abundant. Mr Yarreli 

 mentions that specimens have been sent to the 

 Zoological Society from Trebizond.* 



In its hafcits it exhibits the same propensities 

 with the gray shrike, though perhaps in a less 

 degree. Large insects are its most common 

 food, particularly grylli, and some of the coleop- 

 tera, and it pursues this food in preference, its 

 weaker form preventing it from attacking small 

 birds or mammalia, except when impelled by a 

 greater degree of hunger. Instances, however, 

 of the red-backed shrike seizing and impaling 



* History of British Birds, i. 157. 



